How to make a sock bun

Jessica Padykula is a freelance writer and editor in Toronto, Canada covering a wide range of topics for several online lifestyle publications. She is a regular contributor for SheKnows, covering travel, style, relationships, health and...

Trend alert: Sock buns 101

Hair buns are back and bigger than ever. If you can’t bear the thought of struggling to create a polished look, or you’re worried you don’t have enough hair to create a get-noticed style, don’t be. Use the celeb trick taking the beauty world by storm – sock buns!

Yup, socks are the new must-have hair accessory. Read on to find out how to create a sock bun. Trust us, it’s super-easy and looks awesome.

Sock buns: What you need

You don’t need much to get started. These are the basics:

Scissors

One regular/tube sock

Hair elastics

Bobby pins

Optional: Smoothing serum, dry shampoo

Brush/comb

Making your sock bun

It’s dead easy to turn a sock (one that’s lost its partner, ideally) into a simple but effective bun enhancer. Cut the toe area off your sock and then roll the toe-less, tube part of the sock into itself until it’s roughly the shape and size of a doughnut. Now you’re ready to create your bun.

Sock bun steps

Note: If you want a more messy-chic look, you can backcomb your hair slightly to create volume and add a spritz of dry shampoo for texture. Doing this will create a bun that’s less polished and more "slept-in."

Comb your hair and make sure it's smooth and tangle-free.

Add some smoothing serum to further create a sleek look and tame fly-away pieces if needed.

Gather your hair into a ponytail. It can be high, medium or low – the placement will dictate where the bun will sit. Use your elastic to secure the ponytail being careful not to end up with too many loose strands.

Now you’re ready for your sock. Hold your ponytail straight into the air and slip the sock "doughnut" you've made over the tip of it.

Carefully gather your hair around the sock bun until your ponytail (now in bun form since you've rolled/gathered it) completely covers the sock. Essentially you’re creating a bun from your ponytail by using the sock to create the illusion of more hair and a more prominent bun shape.

Tuck any loose strands under the sock making sure no part of the sock is showing. Secure loose bits with bobby pins if you need to. Voila – a sexy, stylish, on-trend hair bun in no time!